There are known various methods for cooling hot liquids. The following U.S. Pat. Nos. are believed to represent a sampling of the state of the art: 5,518,066; 5,465,655; 5,474,122; 5,443,857; 5,317,882; 5,192,499; 5,063,663.
In food processing, particularly processing of proteinaceous food products, the speed of cooling is exceedingly critical. Failure to cool a food product sufficiently quickly may lead to undesirable effects on the flavor, aroma, texture or other important characteristics of the food product.